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Suspect Laws

by | 9th, June 2005

‘IN light of the Government’s drive to clean up so-called yob Britain, we wonder if throwing up in the street now constitutes a breach of the new anti-littering rules.

‘You can’t sleep it off there, son – it’s a ‘no waiting’ zone’

Picture the scene. Your head is slunk low between your knees. A traffic warden steps up. He considers you. He looks at the pile of regurgitated alcopop and kebab on the ground. He mentally links the two. He slaps a £50 fixed penalty notice on your pale and sweaty forehead.

It’s a grim prospect. And it could be worse yet if you dare to vomit on a set of double yellow lines. And don’t even think about hitting the red route.

But while we’re digesting that, the Government has moved onto Phase II of it master plan, and today announces that police are to be given the power to ban people from town centres for 48 hours, even if they’ve committed no offence.

As the Telegraph says in its lead story, police are now allowed to issue written exclusion orders to anyone they see as representing a “risk of disorder”.

The felon does not need to be drunk or to have committed any offence.

The aim, as the paper explains, is to remove potential troublemakers from the scene. Whether the undesirable is black, black or black, police will be able to diffuse the situation and take them away.

And, as the Times says, anyone not complying with the banning order faces a fine of up to £2,500.

Which makes us feel a little uneasy. Sick even…

Paul Sorene is the Anorak’



Posted: 9th, June 2005 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink